Bethlehem Township Man's Trial Begins On Charges He Raped Girl * It Is Alleged That He Forced A 12-year-old To Have Sex At His Home.

September 10, 1997|by LAURI RICE-MAUE, The Morning Call

A Bethlehem Township man went on trial Tuesday in Northampton County Court on charges he raped a 12-year-old girl in the summer of 1993 at his home.

William David Collins was described by Assistant District Attorney Martricia McLaughlin as a seductive, manipulative man who raped the girl and forced her to perform oral sex on him in the basement of his home at 1832 Mill St., where many would gather to swim in his pool.

Collins told the girl he would hurt her if she told anyone what happened, McLaughlin said. The girl, now 16, was too confused and too scared to tell anyone about the assault until last year, said McLaughlin.

Collins' lawyer, Nancy Aaroe, said her client has been falsely accused and has suffered pain and humiliation as a result. She described him as a family man who has been a father figure to many youths in his community.

A friend of the girl's testified that she introduced the girl to Collins in June or July of that year and both the girls then went swimming in his pool.

"I guess once you started talking to him you were allowed to go there," she recalled.

She said Collins was doing yard work when they arrived, but he allowed them to go into the pool. Soon after, he joined them, taking off his shorts after he got into the water and swimming naked. She also recalled a previous time when she was swimming at his home that he also wore nothing in the pool.

She recalled the girl had to go to the bathroom and was in the house for four or five minutes before coming back outside. However, she could not recall whether Collins left the pool and went into the house at the same time as the girl.

Detective Scott Lipare testified that after police left a message with Collins' wife, they wanted to speak to him, and Collins willingly went to the police station to be interviewed.

He denied knowing anyone with the girl's first name, and then asked Lipare about her hair color. He said he remembered that the girl came to his home and wanted to use the phone, but he wouldn't let her because he was expecting an overseas call from an exchange student who had left the day before.

But he said he believed he allowed her into the home for a drink of water.

"Then he indicated to me he wanted to admit to the charges," said Lipare.

Lipare said Collins subsequently told him that nothing happened, that he just wanted to admit to it "to make it easy on myself and my family."

After that, Lipare said Collins wanted to talk to a lawyer and the interview ended.